Book music

Unlike the heavy pinned barrels, which could only contain a few tunes of fixed length, that had been used on earlier instruments, book music enabled large repertoires to be built up.

[1] The development marked a turning point in the history of the mechanical organ, and made Gavioli, until his demise in 1910, the most famous and prolific fair-organ builders.

Some mechanical organs, particularly those of German manufacture by firms such as Gbr Bruder and Ruth, play keyless cardboard book music, operating pneumatically.

[citation needed] The major advantage of book music, however, is that it is sturdy and not subject to expansion and contraction with humidity.

In Europe the book format, rather than the roll, is the preferred method of operating all but the smallest instruments designed for outdoor use.